Improvement in music-leaf turners



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. H. GOODWIN. Music-Leaf Turner.

Patented Mar. 4,1879.

r O 10 m e v .n I

N.FETE.RS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHEH. WASHINGTON, D c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. H. GOODWIN. Music-Leaf Turner.

Patented Mar. 4,1879.

I J um U Witnes-5 -QJ N, PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

OLIVER H. GOODW IN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, OALIFORXLL.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSIC-LEAF TURNERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,846, dated March 4,1879; application iiled October 18, 1878.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. GOODWIN, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, and State of California, have invented a Music- Leat' Turner;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,andexactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings. I

My invention relates to an improved musicleaf turner; and myimprovements consist in a mechanism for operating the arms which turnthe leaves, so that each will act independently of the other, and onewill set the other ready for turning, all being released by the samebutton and rod, and my improvements also consist in arranging the stripswhich hold the back or hinge ot' the music in such a position over theaxis of the arms turning the music that the axis of the music is at thesame point as that of the arms, therebypreventing any danger ct tearingor displacing the leaves.

Figure l is a view of my device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. throughthe top of the case J. Fig. 3 shows the slots in the bottom of theframe. t is a front view of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a top view of thesame. Figs. (5 and 7 are details of construction.

Let A represent the surface of the piano, music-stand, or table on whichthe musicleat' turner is to be placed; and in this, at proper distancesapart, are two screws, B, with their heads and part or their shanksprojecting, as shown. 0n the under side of the lower edge of themusic-leaf turner are two slots, 0, having each a hole large enough toadmitthe screwheads, the elongation being, however, only wide enough forthe shoulders of the screws to pass. Shoulders or flanges are formed onthe inside ot'the slots, and are made beveled, so that when thescrew-heads are in place in the slots and the turner pushed edgewise theunder parts of the screw-heads bind on the beveled ilangesand hold themusic-leat turner upright and in its proper position. it can easily beremoved by sliding it back, so as to let the screw-heads come out of theenlargement in the slots.

The back or music-desk D is made in any desired ornamental form, and isformed of the height of an ordinary sheet of music. On this back are twovertical strips, E, their meeting faces being covered with. rubber orcloth, said strips bein garranged so as to separate and close again onthe back edge of the piece of music, so as to hold it in place and forma sort ofhinge, on which the music folded back, as hereinafterdescribed. These strips E are kepta short distance from the back of thestand or desk by the cleats or guides which are secured to their backsat both upper and lower ends, serving to raise said strips from the deskhigh enough to enable the operating mechanism, hereinafter described, tobe placed under them, and also for the purpose of having the axis of themusic at the same point or center as the axis of the arms which turn theleaves.

By having the front edges or the strips over the axis of the arms thetingers on the arms do not pull the leaves, but told them over easily,without danger of tearing the paper or pulling the sheets from theirplaces.

The two strips are connected at their backs by two or more pivotedswinging arms or rods, F, said arms being pivoted to the music-desk attheir centers and in the center of the desk. To the upper one of theseswinging arms is secured a thumb-plate, G, having a spring, H, to throwitback into position and close the strips together. By pressing down onthe thumb-plate the two strips are separated by the swinging arms movingon their axes, and the back edge or hinge of the music is insertedbetween them. Then, by releasing the thumbpieee, the springs close thestrips together, they thus griping the music and holding it in anupright position, ready for use.

Holders 1 are pivoted at the lower edge of each side of the desk, asshown, which maybe turned over the edges of the outside sheets of themusic to hold said sheets open.

Immediately under the strips, on the front or music desk, is aninclosing case, J, which contains the mechanism for operating the armsK, said arms projecting through slots, as shown, in the front of thesemicircular case. These arms are made of metal, and have on their endsan upright strip or finger, L, having on their upper ends a small pad orball of rubber or cloth, (I. The lingers are secured to the ends of thearms, so as to be stationary, and their lower ends are turned back andenlarged, as shown, so as to form flanges, through which a pin, M, maypass, on which the spring-clutch N is pivoted. These clutches havesprings 0 under them, so that when they are pressed down said springswill throw them back in contact with the ball or pad on the fingers.After the sheet-music is placed in position and the outside sheets arecaught under the holders, the consecutive sheets on which the music isprinted are secured between the fingers and clutches, and are thus heldin position ready to be turned over consecutively by the fingers. Downthrough the center of the inclosing case J passes a pin or rod, P, onwhich the arms K are hinged, said pin being directly under the meetingfront edges of the vertical strips which form the hinge or center aboutwhich the leaves'turn. The inner ends of the arms K are enlarged andmade circular in form, as shown at 1, having a notch, R, on one side toform a catch to engage with the plate S on the back of the case. Thisplate S has a spring behind it, and when pushed in by the rod '1, 011which is the button U, is pushed out of the notch R, and allows an arm Kto swing around, the coiled spring V furnishing the power for movingsaid arm. On the inner end or enlarged portion of each arm, at the pointwhere the pin P passes through them, is an cecentric, W, said pin 1passing through said eccentric on one side, as shown. These eccentricsrevolve around the pin P as the arms are revolved, being secured to saidarms for the purpose hereinafter described.

A pin, X, passes down through one side of the case, which forms afulcrum pin or shaft for the plates Y. Each plate Y has at one end aslot, which incloses the eccentric W, and the end is formed into a hook,Z, which engages with a pin, a, on the arm K. All the arms except theupper or front one have one of these plates Y and a pin, a, and each armhas also an eccentric, W, as shown.

The mechanism is so constructed that when the button is pressed in allthe arms will not swing over at once, but that only one at a time willswing and turn one leaf.

It will be seen that as the button is pressed in-and the plate S on theback of the case released from the notch R in the arm, the coiled springwill turn said arm from one side of the music-desk to the other. e Asthis arm swings, the eccentric Won said arm, moving in the slot in theinner end of the plate Y, turns said plate on its pin X, the movementtaking the hook Z on said plate away from the pin a on the arm, andleaving the next arm free to move when the button is pushed in. The nextarm below is kept from swinging by the hook on the plate holding it bythe pin a; but when said upper arm swings, the hook is released from thepin, as described, and it, in turn, is ready to swing. Then the armshave all been turned they may be turned back into position, one at atime, beginning with the lower one, and as each comes to its place it isheld by the hook on the plate and the notch, when they are ready for useagain, as described.

By this means I furnish a music-leaf turner which is simple inconstruction and operation and not liable to get out of order. Each armhas an independent spring, as described, and only one arm will turn at atime. After the music is put in place and the leaves secured in thefingers, a simple pressure of the button at the proper time will turnthe leaves consecutively and quickly, and hold them open.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The holding-bars E E, with theirguidingpieces F, the bars being united by the diago nal parallel stripsF, pivoted to the back, in combination with the operating thumb-piece G,so that they may be opened and closed, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. The turning-arms K, with the hinged circular enlargement 5, having apin, a, upon one side, in combination with the eccentrics W and theplates Y, with the hooks or catches Z, to engage with the pins, saidarms being pivoted to and operated by the eccentrics, substantially asand for the purpose herein described.

.In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OLIVER H. GOODWIN.

Witnesses CHAS. G. YALE, J 0s. A. BAYLESS.

